24YO Father & 48YO Girlfriend Killed His 4YO Daughter, Abused 2YO Son

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Leesville couple is being charged with first-degree murder for the death of a 4-year-old girl.

Investigators determined both the 4-year-old and her 2-year-old brother both had injuries believed to be the result of physical abuse.

The child’s biological father, Logan Miller, 24, and his live-in girlfriend, Terrie Gray, 48, were arrested Nov. 6 on drug charges.

Now both are being charged with first-degree murder and two counts of cruelty to juvenile.

The child was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment, however, police say she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday morning.

The cause of death of the 4-year-old was “cardiopulmonary arrest, intracranial bilateral hemorrhaging and non-accidental injuries from child abuse,” according to Whitney LaFrance, Public Information Officer with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

The DCFS report stated the child was brought into the hospital with “a bilateral brain bleed, a broken humerus and a left clavicle break. In addition, she has bruising over much of her body and burns on her face, chin and neck.”

MSN

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The first day of testimony in Gray’s trial brought jurors to tears as witnesses described the physical abuse inflicted on Athena and her younger brother. The defense argued that Miller was responsible for the abuse, not Gray.

Jurors driven to tears by autopsy photos​

Dr. Barbara Herfel, the forensic pathologist who performed Athena’s autopsy, took the stand this morning. She showed photos of severe injuries all over her body and said they could not have been self-inflicted.

The family in the gallery could not look at the photos, and some of the jurors began crying.

Herfel told jurors that Athena suffered multiple injuries across her body, including recent and older injuries in various stages of healing. She said Athena’s hair appeared to have been pulled out, she had burns that appeared to have been caused by hot liquid, and an infected shoulder fracture that appeared to have gone untreated for weeks.

Terrie Gray’s daughter testifies, saying “she’s still afraid of her mother”​

Terrie Gray’s daughter Scarlett, was also called to the stand today. She described living arrangements in the home after Miller moved in, saying her former bedroom was converted into the children’s room with a mattress on the floor.

Scarlett also testified that she witnessed Gray restraining Athena by holding her arms back, along with Gray slapping Athena on the cheek. Scarlett also said Gray claimed Athena was hurting herself when asked about her bruises.

Scarlett also described one time when she found Athena in a dirty bathtub filled with water. Athena had told her she was being made to “get rocks out of the drain.” Scarlett said that when she raised concerns, she was ignored.

Scarlett also testified that Miller showed little affection toward Athena.

During Scarlett’s testimony, she became emotional, telling jurors she wished she had contacted law enforcement earlier.

Scarlett testified that Terrie Gray and Logan Miller turned the doorknob around on Athena and her little brother’s room, but said she does not know specifically who did it.

She testified that on Nov. 6, 2024, she walked into the home and Terrie Gray told her to watch the children while she left to pick up her son from elementary school. Scarlett said she was about to cook food, but went to check on Athena and her two-year-old brother first, and that is when she found Athena lying on her side.

Scarlett also testified that she had seen Terrie slap Athena before the incident. She told jurors she believes Terrie Gray is responsible for what led to Athena’s death, and that she also believes Terrie was responsible for harming the two-year-old.

Scarlett testified that she was scared of Terrie Gray at the time and that she is still afraid of her today, even while sitting in the courtroom.

The fourth witness called to the stand was Detective Breanna McQueary, the lead investigator on the case. McQueary testified that on November 6, 2024, she heard Sgt. David Jackson over the radio requesting an investigator to Nelda Street about a four-year-old child in need of life-saving measures.

When McQueary arrived at the scene, she said she saw medics, the fire department, and police already on scene. She was informed that Athena was receiving life-saving measures in the back of an ambulance. When she first walked into the home, she saw Officer Hardwick, Logan Miller, and fire department personnel. She also testified that she saw Athena’s two-year-old brother sitting on the couch with bruises on his face, saying she was approximately three feet away from the child.

McQueary said she began gathering details about what happened from Officer Hardwick and noted that Logan Miller did not seem worried at all, describing him as having a calm demeanor. She testified that she then walked into Athena’s and the two-year-old’s bedroom and was shocked at what she saw. She said the room had a foul smell, looked horrible, and that she knew at that moment this would be her case.

McQueary testified that later in the investigation, she obtained a search warrant for Terrie Gray’s home and searched the entire house. She described what she found in each area of the home:

• Children’s Bedroom
  • McQueary described the room as a dungeon-like space with only a doll hanging from the wall. The room smelled of feces and urine, had blood stains on the floor and walls, and the mattress was filthy. McQueary became emotional on the stand, telling jurors that her own child was three years old at the time — and that while all of this was happening, Athena was fighting for her life.
• Terrie Gray’s Biological Son’s Bedroom
  • In stark contrast, McQueary testified that Gray’s son’s room was very clean and neat, with a disco light, a television, a race car bed, a Superman logo on the wall, and was well kept.
• Hallway
  • Cat feces were found throughout the hallway.
• Living Room
  • The living room was described as filthy.
• Kitchen
  • McQueary testified that the kitchen had no table, was filled with trash, and had a massive amount of dishes with gnats infesting the sink. She said the countertops were dirty, mold was found in the dishwasher, and the refrigerator contained a mix of spoiled and unspoiled food.
• Master Bedroom
  • McQueary said the master bedroom was very difficult to get into. When she cracked the door open, she found a massive number of items on the floor. Investigators recovered Terrie Gray’s red wallet on Gray’s side of the bed. The room was also described as being in a filthy condition.

McQueary also testified that multiple candles were found throughout the entire house, along with multiple torch lighters. She said she believes torch lighters could cause a significant burn.

McQueary testified that during the investigation, she observed Terrie Gray parked across the street in her van with her hands covering her face. She said Scarlett was by herself nearby, on the phone, and crying.

McQueary said she called the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance, and they helped with interviewing everyone at the scene. She testified that the two-year-old was sent to Alexandria to be interviewed by the Children’s Advocacy Center, while Logan Miller, Terrie Gray, and Scarlett were each interviewed by law enforcement.

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Jurors watch Terrie Gray’s interrogation video​

An interrogation video of Terrie Gray with Leesville Police detectives was played for jurors. In the video, Gray told detectives that Logan Miller had beaten Athena.

Gray told detectives that on Nov. 6, she looked at Athena and noticed that the color of the bruising on her neck was brown, and that a puffier blue color was visible around her eyes.

Gray also told detectives that she had made Athena stand in a corner of her room as punishment. She claimed that Athena had swallowed a bedroom key on Nov. 5 and had thrown up the following morning, but insisted that Athena appeared normal and was speaking with her before Gray was about to leave the home.


At the end of the interrogation, Gray was placed under arrest on outstanding warrants that included a methamphetamine charge. During the interview, Gray asked about her own children but not about Athena. Gray also told detectives she had suffered micro strokes that had impacted her memory.

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Child’s autopsy photos bring jurors to tears in Leesville murder trial

Another emotional day in court is underway in a Leesville woman’s trial for the abuse and murder of a 4-year-old girl.

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